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Devotion.al

Tag: Jesus

  • Gospel Politics

    John 8:31–59, Acts 13:46–52 (read online ⧉)

    One of the biggest struggles we—as Christians in America—continue to face, and will face even more deeply, is the hardness of heart to the Gospel. This will include people who identify themselves as Christians. As it becomes harder to be a cultural Christian, the pressure to not be a Christian at all will continue to grow. Yes, it is sad. We became complacent and comfortable, which rarely produces a life-giving Gospel. We ought to really read the Gospel accounts, and even Acts and the Epistles where we are the Jews (including Pharisees and Sadducees) and the Judaizers.

    Currently, Jesus’ family is growing most quickly in places where Christianity is often opposed or co-opted by the government (becoming a false Gospel and church in the process). People not part of “the West” are the Gentiles of which we read. We, “the West”, have become what we thought we overcame. You might immediately protest this. It’s not bad to protest this. However, as we look at how the church family has been split between 2 political parties, we can see that our understanding of following Jesus Christ has become twisted.

    Most politicians are practical with their politics. They will commit (or at least pretend) to what will get them votes. Theirs is not, by practice, a Gospel of love. There are “planks” in both political parties that Christians should support. However, if it were an all-or-none supporting the entirety of a political party’s platform (and this would even include those outside the normal two), all Christians would probably—if they remained true to the teachings of Jesus Christ—have to stop voting. This isn’t solely an American thing either. This is the reality in most democracies/republics. No one political party will agree with all the teachings of Jesus. Yet, we have people focusing on political parties and politicians, and not on Jesus Christ.

    We are the Jews. We have become partners with the State. We have even gone so far as to demonize others that call themselves Christians as if our own house is clean, as if we are God, being able to judge (more like condemn) the heart of another person.

    John tells us that the Jews, not being able to stand against Jesus, called him a Samaritan (in other words, he wasn’t a “real” Jew) and demon-possessed! Wow! What chuztpah! We are hearing that from Christians that person is not a “real” American, “real” Christian, “evil”, “deluded”, and so on. THE WORLD JUDGES US BY THE WORDS WE USE. Look at the words we are using against each other. These are the same tongues that sing, “blessed be the name of the Lord!”

    As Western “civilization” walks and runs away from Christianity, there are still plenty of people waiting to hear the good news of Jesus Christ. Many of them are far away. Many of them are right next door.

    1) What ways can you think of to take the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the world? Look at each of those ways. Will the world actually listen to them? Why or why not?

    2) One of the tendencies of the Jewish leaders was to say, “come to us.” In what ways do modern Christians do the same? In what ways are modern Christians different?

    3) Politics is a very sore and volatile subject these days. How can we still use politics to share the hope and grace of the Gospel of Jesus Christ?

  • Trust and Temptation

    Genesis 3:1–20, James 1:12–16, Hebrews 2:13–18 (read online ⧉)

    The reality is that humanity has a hard time trusting God. The story of Adam and Eve is a great allegory of humanity and trust. Adam, especially, should have trusted God wholeheartedly. Eve, too, should have trusted God and should have trusted Adam. However, Eve listened to the serpent. Adam, in turn, listened to Eve. They who had access to God as they did still trusted someone else over God. Part of this, it seems, is immediacy. The serpent was in their immediate surroundings. This is why the world can be dangerous to our spiritual well-being. We are in it. It has immediacy in our lives. It can pull us away from God. Even when we fully believe that we trust God, the world can still pull us away. Sometimes it will be little things. Sometimes it will be big things.

    This awareness becomes important as we go through life. One of our big temptations, as we saw in the story of Adam and Eve is to blame other people. However, if we do that too much, people begin to avoid us. We, needing affection, will often turn to something else to blame. Sometimes we’ll blame political parties or government (yes, it involves people, but generally people who are disconnected from our daily lives). Sometimes we’ll blame chance. As James points out, however, we also blame God. People have blamed God for the temptation of Adam and Eve. “God should have known and prevented it,” they’ll say. “And, since God didn’t prevent it, God cannot be good, and must be evil…” Yes, it goes downhill quickly. James is making that exact point. For once it is God’s fault that we are tempted, the slippery slope down to God is evil comes into play. It’s not that you couldn’t stop there, but that many can’t. There are certain Christian traditions that say (in effect) that while God perfectly controls all things, and while God is not evil, there is still evil, so it’s a mystery.

    That doesn’t, let’s be honest, work very well. It also put into doubt as shown by the passage in Hebrews. None of us want to be tempted. So, if Jesus (the Son of God, and part of the Triune God) is tempted, that would mean that God wants God to be tempted. If we, who are fallen and sinful, don’t want to be tempted, why would God want to be tempted? It is here that we have to make a turn. God’s holiness isn’t diminished by temptation, it would be diminished if temptation was succumbed to. As Jesus didn’t succumb to temptation, Jesus’ holiness wasn’t diminished. So, what does this have to do with trust? Jesus, as a man, trusted God’s plan, and leaned on that and his love of God and his knowledge that God loved him. Jesus was tempted in alignment with God’s plan, not because God wanted the temptation to occur, but to show that Jesus was both God and man, showing people that God loved the Creation and was willing to die for it.

    1) How do your own temptations inhibit your trust of other people? How about your trust of God?

    2) How does temptation and blame go together? Why do you think that is?

    3) Other than the basic, “God is not evil,” why is it a dangerous practice spiritually to blame God?

    Action: Decide on one (and only one) temptation to place before God. Surrender it. Pray about it and surrender it every day.

  • Bricks of Trust

    Psalm 13, Isaiah 26:1–6, Luke 22:39–46, Matthew 27:38–44 (read online ⧉)

    Fear is a result of many life experiences. Generally, we are not born with a spirit of distrust. Fear, in many respects, is yet another symbol or symptom of being part of the fallen world. We learn fear. We learn the distrust that precedes it. If perfect love casts out fear (1 John 4:18), then where does that leave us? We have to build up a spirit and habit of trust.
    While it isn’t ideal, nor the goal, such people should be given a lot of grace regarding trust (and they need to give it to themselves). While it will be a long and hard road for them (long for some, shorter for others), it is worth it.

    When we trust, we rebuild our spiritual and emotional foundation. By doing so, we remove fear and keep fear from getting deeper roots in us, and even not getting rooted in the first place. Imagine not having a place in your emotional and spiritual domain that has no fear! It sounds pretty amazing. If we’re honest with ourselves, it can also sound impossible.

    One of the most profound (and disturbing) examples of trust is Jesus’ trust in God the Father. Many view this as a cheat, as Jesus is God. Yet, this is why keeping in mind and heart that Jesus was a man, too, is so important. Jesus trusted God. Jesus the man may have even fully understood the plan. That didn’t spare Jesus the pain. Perhaps some of the hardest words during the crucifixion were the words of the religious leaders, who scorned Jesus’ trust in God. The implication of these words is that these leaders no longer did trust God. Perhaps they had been so broken by the world that they only trust power and riches, leaving God outside their banquets.

    1) What prevents you from trusting? How does this tie into fear, do you think?

    2) If someone violates your trust, how do you rebuild your trust in them (or have them rebuild your trust of them)? How might that apply to increasing your trust in God?

    3) Do you think there are differences between spiritual and emotional trust and distrust? Why or why not?

    Action: Find small (emphasis on small) concrete things you will trust God with.

  • Child Identified

    Exodus 3:1–12, 1 John 2:28–29, 1 John 4:7 (read online ⧉)

    Moses was not a shining example of humanity. He was…human. He had a temper. He certainly had a confused identity. He was a child of the court of Egypt. How he fit (or didn’t ) into the courts of the Pharoahs is an unknown. A Pharoah’s daughter pulled him from the Nile, knowing he was a Hebrew. Then she gave him to a Hebrew to be a nurse. We don’t know anything that really occurred in his life from his assigning to a Hebrew nursemaid to the day he killed an Egyptian overseer. We can reasonably assume that Moses dealt with two identities, one as an adopted child of the Pharoahic court, and one the blood child of a Hebrew. Moses was, in many respects, destined to be forever confused and torn by his two identities. This is much the same with us. We have our human earthly identity, and we have our heavenly identity. We often become confused between them.

    John writes, “ Everyone who does what is right, has been born of him.” Most of us look at these words and ask, “What about me?” We see them in the light of our own weaknesses and failures. With that perspective, it’s hard for the words to bring us comfort. Knowing to whom John was writing (people he loved, cared for, and wanted the best for), we can be assured that it wasn’t his goal. Our identity in Jesus Christ is something far different than our identity on earth. It is to that identity that John writes. That identity has done what is right and has been born of him.

    When John speaks later about everyone born of God loves, we are again tied back to the one of whom we are born…Jesus Christ. So much of who we are is our identity. Some of our identity is nothing we can control (i.e., family of origin, birth nation, native tongue, etc.). Other things we can identify with. Hopefully, you have chosen—at this point—to identify as a Child of God through Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. Holding onto and affirming this identity is what creates the space in our hearts and lives to be right and (Godly) loving.

    Moses, like us, had two identities, Hebrew and of Pharaoh. In many respects, both are earthly identities prone to failures and flaws. Yet, Moses did choose to be a Hebrew. Then he accepted (granted, somewhat grudgingly) the prophetic leadership of a people taking them from earthly nation to Godly nation. Moses made mistakes before and during the journey. The Hebrews made plenty of their own mistakes. Despite all of that, however, God still identified them as his chosen people.

    1) What do you see as your earthly identities? How do they coexist, and how do they conflict?

    2) While God calls us his children, why do we tend to undermine that identity by identifying with our failures, mistakes, and tendencies?

    3) Say out loud, “I am a loved child of God.” What was your emotional and physical reaction to that? Why do you think that is?

  • Discerning Differences and Spirits

    2 Timothy 3:1–9, Hebrews 12:11–15 (read online ⧉)

    Every generation (so far) says of the one to follow has said at least one of the lists in 2 Timothy about the generation that follows. It’s not that there isn’t truth to it, yet it is not necessarily the same heart truth. Especially the transition from the last decade of the 20th Century to these first 2 decades of the 21st Century there is a cultural shift that is occurring simultaneously as, and even at a quicker rate than, the generational differences. This is an important concept to wrestle with. First, the generation and culture that follows are, in many respects, built upon the generation/culture that is complaining. Another way to say it, is instead of blaming them, look in the mirror and recognize our contribution. It is not that the list that Paul gives is wrong, it’s just that often we attribute to the responses of others something they aren’t actually doing because we don’t understand our differences. The differences between Western generations are similar to the foreignness of other nations.

    While we compare generational culture to this list of Paul’s, Paul really isn’t talking about the wider culture. He’s talking about Christians in particular. Many of these phrases were used by the Protestants against the Roman Catholic church at the beginning of the Protestant Reformation, and some still parrot this today. Sadly, most of these same phrases can be used against Protestant Christianity and (perhaps, even especially) Evangelical Christianity. Hence the necessity to be very careful in how we apply these phrases, for the first people who should be tested by them are ourselves. Being committed to testing is often not even tried, because deep down we recognize that we need to be tested, and that is uncomfortable.

    The author of Hebrews acknowledges that. Discipline and being disciplined is hard. When we test ourselves, it is the Holy Spirit that disciplines us. And, just to be clear, we are susceptible here to the voices of the antichrists. They will try to tear us down. The Holy Spirit builds up. Often the pain is the same, but the difference is that one wants to keep us down, and one wants to free us. The author of Hebrews speaks of the peaceful fruit that will result from the Holy Spirit doing the disciplining. The author of Hebrews then encourages our efforts to continue to pursue righteousness.

    The author of Hebrews then tells us the consequences of not pursuing righteousness, lameness or dislocation. The implication that we are not able to do our Christian work. That is to be our goal, being fully (Holy Spirit) empowered followers of Jesus Christ.

    1) How do you see Paul’s list tied to the concept of lameness/dislocation as noted by the author of Hebrews?

    2) Have you ever been guilty of accusing another generation (before or after yours) of not understanding? What does that tell you about those that passed “culture” to you or the “culture” you passed on to others?

    3) A Jesus Christ-centered commitment to “test” others is hard. Have you ever made such a commitment? If so, how have you broken it? If not, what is holding you back?

  • Another Test?

    Nehemiah 8:1–6; Luke 24:18–27; Acts 17:10–15 (read online ⧉)

    The Israelite Exiles have returned home, sort of. As Ezra reads the Scriptures, the remnant of Israel learns what it means to be God’s chosen people. Generations had already wandered away emotionally and spiritually. Then they went into exile in a foreign land with various gods and practices and unlearned even more. The confrontation with God’s Word was probably startling to many, and heart-wrenching for others.

    Even when theoretically well-established with the Scriptures, and even being (outer) disciples of Jesus, disciples such as Cleopas still needed to have things explained further to him. Perhaps, like many of us, it needed that “one more time” to get. Perhaps Jesus said it the “right” way this time so that Cleopas understood. Maybe for Cleopas, it took the report of the Resurrection and Jesus’ explanation and the breaking of the bread to “get it”. We just don’t know why it took so much for Cleopas (and we really can’t forget Cleopas’ companion) to get it, but each of us has had a similar experience, where we just need to go over it and over it and over it (whatever “it” is).

    This is what makes the Bereans a good example. They eagerly dug into the Scriptures to validate what they were told.

    1) When was the last time you eagerly dug into the Scriptures?

    2) The Israelites needed to test things against the Scriptures but didn’t. How is your habit of testing things against the Scriptures?

    3) Do you recall that we are to test the Scriptures through the lens of God’s love for us as displayed by Jesus Christ? In what ways is this displayed by Jesus’ explanations to Cleopas and his companion?

    Action: take one opinion or commentary regarding or from the world and test it against the Scriptures.

  • Mocking Truth?

    Luke 23:32–43, 2 Peter 3:1–18 (read online ⧉)

    Humor can be cruel. Often it is aimed at an individual who is different than us. Sometimes cruel humor helps us avoid our own insecurities. Humor can be quite painful at times. However, it the cruelty that wraps itself in humor that becomes something completely different. It leads to diminishing of others, not just for a laugh (though that can be quite painful), but for a lifetime. It also leads to blindness, especially blindness to truth.

    Crucifixion was not uncommon in Jesus’ day. It was designed to be what it was…a murderous spectacle. Yet, there were certain things that were added on to it that were not normal: the purple robe, being hailed as “King of the Jews,” the crown of thorns. The soldiers mocked him. The Jewish leaders mocked him. The people mocked him. In the people’s defense, their fear of both the Roman soldiers and the Jewish leaders put them in a situation were likely many of them felt as if they had no choice but to join the mocking. However, just like many of us, this doesn’t particularly excuse it.

    By the time of Peter’s letter, the return of the Lord seemed that it would never happen. The people, therefore, were being mocked for their expectation. In addition, because their expectation was “obviously” false, their way of life and their beliefs were also mocked.

    Peter seeks to remind them that God’s words never return void (Isaiah 55:11). By implication, he is pointing out that God’s promises have come true. By implication, he also points out that the Prophets often did not know the exact timing, just that God was moving. That was the same situation that the church was experiencing. God was moving, it was just not the way and the when they were expecting.

    As Peter also felt the need to reinforce “the Word” conveys some concern the people were diminishing the truth and/or the validity of the Scriptures. Just like many of us are experiencing in this day and age. We experience the scoffers and the doubters, who look at us and the Scriptures and shake their heads in despair of us. They pity us. As belief in the Truth of Christianity wanes, we approach the disbelief alive at the time of Peter (though there is a long way to go). It becomes progressively harder as the ratio of believer to non-believer changes amongst our families, friends, coworkers.

    1) How do you maintain your trust in the Word in the midst of all this disbelief?

    2) What other concerns do you think Peter had in this passage?

    3) Have you ever been mocked or scorned? How about for your faith?

  • What Promise?

    Psalm 146, Mark 13:14–27, Mark 13:32–33, Hebrews 11:13–22 (read online ⧉)

    The New Year is no longer new. By now many New Year’s Resolutions are broken. People have already surrendered to their loss. Often people telegraph or expect their loss, and behave as if they have already lost. By God’s grace, many of those who went before, especially those that are revered in some aspect, didn’t behave the same way.

    The Founding Fathers (of the United States) were human beings. They were marred by sin and imperfection…just like us. The system they developed, a hybrid of multiple governmental ways of thinking, was an experiment. The Founding Fathers had many fears about this system they created. Oddly enough, on both sides of the political spectrum is a growing belief that it has failed. That it failed (or hasn’t yet, or won’t, or…) is not the question or issue, nor has it ever been. The amazing thing is that it was tried at all. That a bunch of (granted) well-educated “aristocratic” men were able to motivate others not as fortunate to take on the ruling empire of the world (at that time) is amazing. It actually means, a cynical point of view, means that nothing has changed. Still to take on the British Empire was insane. These same men feared that democracy would fail, no matter what fail-safes they put into the system. They did anyway. Were they going against the flow? Would failure be catastrophic? Yes to both. Again, they did it anyway.

    When the U.S. system was designed it really had no trust in princes nor did it really have trust in people. It’s odd, wouldn’t you say, to put the fate of your legacy in the hands of people you don’t really trust? Much of the angst of the current “feeling”* really boils down to putting our faith and trust in princes (and people) who haven’t really earned it. The ones that earned it are the ones we know, not usually someone on a website or a TV screen (though in this day and age that may no longer be so).

    While it is wise to not trust humankind without some serious testing and discernment, people still do it. We have to. We cannot survive being paranoid. However, during his prophetic statements, Jesus still advises people that there will be false messiahs and false prophets. Jesus advises that the end will come with God the Father decides, and that is not for anyone else to know. Despite these words, men and women for ages have declared “special” knowledge of the end. People then feel betrayed when the end doesn’t come.

    Those that know the end date, or those who will give us power or stuff or safety, we put a lot of trust in them. Then we become upset because they failed us. When it comes to politicians and leaders we really treat them like New Year’s Resolutions…something will go wrong. We have no real hope in them, yet we still feel disappointed. Yet, we should actually be relieved when they disappoint us. Whew! They’re human just like us. That is the point of the author of Hebrews, God is not human like us. God is far more. God is faithful. God fulfills his promises.

    1) What promise(s) of God do you hold onto?

    2) What promises of people do you hold onto?

    3) Why do you think we hold onto people’s promises, yet often turn away from God’s promises?

    Action: As you read the Scriptures this week, write down the verses that seem to be promises.

  • The Simplest Thing

    Matthew 21:28–32, John 6:28–36 (read online ⧉)

    It’s too easy. What do I have to do? There must be something that has to be done to earn my way. Perhaps I need to be wealthy. Perhaps I have to be powerful. Perhaps I to take a series of convoluted steps, and of course start from zero if I mess up.

    Nope, it doesn’t work that way. Whew! Yet, for some reason, the simplest way oddly seems to be the hardest.

    Jesus called on people to believe. He pointed to John the Baptist, first. John the Baptist came with a message of righteousness and repentance. That was always part of God’s call to those he originally called…the Israelites. The Law effectively revolved around a constant cycle of repentance and restoration to righteousness. The Israelites (now the remnant) didn’t understand and didn’t respond to God’s messenger. It was the people that were not “in” that responded. It was the ones who were “outcasts” who responded to the message.

    When confronted by Jesus, the people asked what they had to do to receive salvation. While Jesus said, “believe,” the parable the accompanied that was about doing the will of God, even when that’s not the desire, and not telling God that it will be done, and then going one’s own way. Belief without action ends up being like the son who said he would do but didn’t. The son who said no, but did still missed the father’s heart.

    Actions speak louder than words. Actions, however, should be motivated by belief.

    1) What is the hardest thing you’ve had to believe? What made it hard?

    2) What action has been the hardest to do? Why?

    3) Which requires greater commitment, belief or action? Why?

  • Sinning Fear

    Hebrews 10:26–11:1, 1 Corinthians 10:1–14 (read online ⧉)

    When we read verse 26 many people will become consumed by fear. There are a lot of people who were taught (and are being taught) that if you confess your sins (usually at church) then commit one immediately after, and then die, it’s as if the confession never existed. That is an incredibly hard place to live. There have been many Christians who have been worn down by this belief and it is heartbreaking, for it is not what the author of Hebrews intended.

    The concept of deliberately sinning is something that needs careful unpacking, and it is (in many respects) far beyond today’s devotional to dig into it. When we look at it with John Wesley’s understanding of sin (Sin is a willful transgression of a revealed and known law of God.) it not only helps, it ties in much better. The reality is that we will sin. However, it’s whether it is a lifestyle, or not. We can always try to convince ourselves that we are not making it a lifestyle. That is likely a tell that we are indeed living a lifestyle of sin. What helps us to not continue walking down the slippery slope (for it is one), is the expectation of judgment and fury.

    This is where a real balancing act has to occur. We don’t want to live in a life of fear, nor should we. Yet, we need to be aware that without Jesus Christ we are in that danger of judgment and fury. In other words, we ought to seek to not sin not because we fear, but out of thankfulness and gratitude that we do not have to fear.

    On the other hand, self-justification is what the author of Hebrews wants us to avoid. The Christian understands (or should) that Jesus Christ died on the cross, and any temptations we have ought to be tempered by the thought of crucifying Jesus. While this sounds severe and even brutal, this is what keeps us from losing our way. When we stop being horrified at crucifying Jesus Christ, then are we a Christian any longer? As the writer continues, he recalls to his readers/hearers that they have already suffered and persevered through abuse and persecutions. The author is telling them that by continuing in sinful behavior they are spitting on their own sacrifices. As the writer reminds us, it is faith that leads us through temptations and even our sins. We are ever reliant upon the grace and mercy of God!

    Of course, what constitutes sin is always asked in these situations. That’s pretty human. Paul reminds us that the Israelites all ate the same food and drank the same water as Moses. A portion died as a result of their behavior. Special food or drink didn’t save them (Communion as a means of grace is something different). They were drawn and tempted into old patterns, just as we are today.

    1) What is your initial response to 1 Corinthians 10:13? How do you think it applies to our passage in Hebrews?

    2) Are you fearful of the consequence of your sin? Why or why not? If so, how do you move beyond the fear?

    3) Do you really trust that a way out is provided (1 Corinthians 10:13)?

    Action: Write out a prayer to God using 1 Corinthians 10:13 as a starting point; perhaps a prayer of thanksgiving.